POPs measure on land swap in court

All legal filings in a lawsuit over ballot measure wording for a parks measure are due Dec. 2, a judge ruled on Nov. 17. Protect our Parks, a citizen group, wants to circulate petitions to force a ballot measure that, if successful, would require the city to get voter approval before selling or trading park land.

The case arises from the city's land swap with The Broadmoor, in which the 189-acre Strawberry Fields open space was traded to the resort for more than 400 acres of wilderness, trails and trail easements. If the judge rules immediately, Protect our Parks would have about a month to gather the required 15,202 signatures by Jan. 4 to make the April 4 city ballot.

Save Cheyenne, a separate nonprofit, has sued the city in another case disputing that City Council had authority to trade the open space. That case is pending.